Best place to place probes and dosing lines?

[kinetic]

I am working on my sump design, and wondering if anyone has suggestions on probe placement and dosing placement.

Probes:

1. Temperature
2. Salinity
3. pH
4. _empty

Dosing

1. Alk
2. Ca
3. Mg
4. AB+ / other

I'll have two 150watt heaters as well

Option A
More traditional placement that I'm used to

• Probes in drain chamber
• Dosing in return chamber (flanking ATK)

Option B
Cleaner setup since probes/dosing reservoir are on that side, but not sure if the water will be cooler/more stagnant over there. Easily remedied with a small pump, but I'd rather avoid that.

• Probes and dosing in main chamber

 

[phatduckk]

I implement something like Option A. Main goal being that I don't want to "do stuff" in the same chamber where I "read stuff" as I don't want to explicitly impact the readings.
EX: I don't dose into the same chamber where the Trident pulls water from & don't have temp probe in the same chamber as the heater.

I try to make sure my measurements are taken before/upstream ...

 

[kinetic]

I implement something like Option A. Main goal being that I don't want to "do stuff" in the same chamber where I "read stuff" as I don't want to explicitly impact the readings.
EX: I don't dose into the same chamber where the Trident pulls water from & don't have temp probe in the same chamber as the heater.

I try to make sure my measurements are taken before/upstream ...

All very good points! Thank you!!

 

[richiev]

I personally try and dose as far from my return as possible, because I want it to spread through as much water as possible before getting blasted out as a stream from my return pump at corals and such.

I imagine it doesn't really matter, but :shrug:. I also don't have a Trident.

I would do B and just move the probes further from the dosing. You can see alk dump in, and if you don't see it quickly moving to the return area you probably have other stagnant water oddness going on.

 

[H2OPlayar]

I personally try and dose as far from my return as possible, because I want it to spread through as much water as possible before getting blasted out as a stream from my return pump at corals and such.

I do the opposite and figure my return pump is the best mixer for anything dosed, so I dose in the overflow right before my return pump. Both are likely fine so long as everything mixes. My probes are right before the dosing so they get the best mixed water.

 

[Turkeysammich]

Probes and dos can be placed anywhere in the sump. I usually go by these rules. Probe placement should be as far way from dos as possible. That way you don’t have stuff building up on it so fast.
I run a small power head pointing up at the dos tubes for mixing.
Never had a problem this way.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

side note…
if one is to rely on these probes for water chemistry
they must be frequently calibrated and carefully maintained

it is a sad sight when the above is not adhered to

 

[kinetic]

side note…
if one is to rely on these probes for water chemistry
they must be frequently calibrated and carefully maintained

it is a sad sight when the above is not adhered to

I've only ever used a temp probe in the past. The apex pro comes with pH/ORP which I have no idea what to do with (though I guess pH can be a big deal, though I have never once in my life tested or cared about it... maybe I should). I think having a salinity probe would be nice too. I've had a lot of issues in the past because my salinity was swinging like crazy (auto water changers were totally messed up back in the day).

I also read a bunch of articles about ORP. I still don't know how that's helpful in the hobby.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

I've only ever used a temp probe in the past. The apex pro comes with pH/ORP which I have no idea what to do with (though I guess pH can be a big deal, though I have never once in my life tested or cared about it... maybe I should). I think having a salinity probe would be nice too. I've had a lot of issues in the past because my salinity was swinging like crazy (auto water changers were totally messed up back in the day).

I also read a bunch of articles about ORP. I still don't know how that's helpful in the hobby.

It is very convenient to see numbers, and hopefully they match the desired range.
But if “you” are to rely on them to involve sensors to do this or that, then their maintenance is paramount
Mind y’all this is why I don’t use ANY such devices
And I do use NSW

 

[kinetic]

It is very convenient to see numbers, and hopefully they match the desired range.
But if “you” are to rely on them to involve sensors to do this or that, then their maintenance is paramount
Mind y’all this is why I don’t use ANY such devices
And I do use NSW

Good word of advice. I'll research the best methods/timing for maintaining the probes.